The Amateur Scientist; April 1994; Scientific American Magazine; by Kurti, This-Benckhard; 3 Page(s)

Scientific investigations in the kitchen have elucidated the mechanisms behind various culinary tricks and offer a means to create novel dishes [see "Chemistry and Physics in the Kitchen," page 66]. Experiments are easy, and all that is needed are shopping trips to the supermarket and to an electronics-parts supply store. An inexpensive microscope that has 400- power magnification is useful but not indispensable.

In the main article, we mention how we quantitatively determined the best way to produce a souffle. Remarks made at a workshop in Erice, Sicily, indicated that it was not essential to put a souffle. In the oven immediately after folding in the whisked egg whites. It may be left for an hour or so in a hot water bath (a bain-marie, or double boiler) at 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Moreover, individual souffle . Mixtures can be deep-frozen and thawed for cooking--a great help in catering a large dinner party or a banquet.